Cherries

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Story: Cherries
Author: bubblybabs
Email: bubbalilly@gmail.com
Beta: Periculum
Story Consultants: WesleyY7, Sonia
Total Word Count: 14,515
Chapter 36 Edit Date: 08/15/2009
At the time of chapter upload:
Hit count: 24,261
Review count: 181
Average/total vote: +++++ / 202
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Chapter 36: Foes Maunder And Meander

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Oh my gosh, I am now doing what I see so many other writers do! I am apologizing for the length of time it took me to upload this chapter... So, “I apologize”... This chapter had to be revised several times in order to clarify things... The story plot is complicated and it's in the process of being unraveled and the secrets are slowly being uncovered... However, due to its complexity, I have to be careful that I don't confuse the reader... So, apologies in advance for long dry periods in between uploads...
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If you aren't careful, this chapter, where Albus is interrogating Kreacher, can be rather confusing. Now, just imagine being Albus as he tries to decipher this information on the fly! Also, please remember, Dumbledore is trying to tease information out of the elf, getting him to slip up and give information he does not intend to, so Albus' method can be annoying. However, I tried my best to be as realistic as possible within an unrealistic tale. As my daughter said after reading this chapter, “Dumbledore should have been a lawyer”.

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Lilalandra – Nice to know you are reading the story! I hope it continues to entertain you...
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mrsfloyd – I'm sorry you are checking so often and found wanting... If you email me, I can add you to the list of people who are notified when new chapters are uploaded... The next chapter has more information about Bill and Remus and the others though I hope this chapter will answer some of your questions... As to Bella, you'll see...
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Christina H. - Harry is in the next chapter... Harry and Ron and Sirius and... You'll see...
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purplean – I'm glad you are obsessed with this story! Love to hear that... I, too, have lost sleep reading a story because I just had to know what happened! It's nice to hear my story is worthy of lost sleep! Your compliments make me blush... See? I'm glowing!
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JayFortuna – So nice to hear from you again! My, my, my – WesleyY7 and I actually discussed how this chapter answered so many of your questions! It's uncanny how your questions seemed to perfectly reflect this chapter... I hope this clears up some of your confusion – if not, let me know...

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Story date: May 14, 1996 (continued)

Kreacher scowled when he looked up and saw the 'Headmaster of the Brats' standing still before him, patiently waiting for him to notice his presence.

“Good evening, Kreacher. I'm afraid I have a few more questions to ask of you.”

Kreacher sneered. “If it isn't the BratMaster.”

Albus stared at Kreacher a moment before sitting down at the table. He looked around the circular stone room and noted it remained tidy.

“I trust you are comfortable here, Kreacher?”

Kreacher sniffed and looked about the room with wary eyes, his ears pricking up. “Where's the other one?”

Glancing behind him, at the spot where Severus had stood during his previous interrogation session in this room, Albus smiled as he turned back to look at Kreacher, a twinkle in this eye that set the elf on edge. “I am alone, Kreacher. For this visit, I do not require the presence of the person who was with me before.”

Kreacher remained silent, his face grim as he stared at Albus.

Putting his entwined hands in his lap, Albus inclined his head slightly as he spoke. “Dobby reported to me that you have been less than pleased with the food he is bringing you.”

“The food is fine.” Kreacher's voice was stiff.

His face showing interest, Albus asked lightly. “Oh? Then, might I inquire, why you threw a tray of food at Dobby this morning?”

Kreacher stared at the tall wizard before him, his large eyes narrowing. “Kreacher wants out. Kreacher does not like this room.”

“I see.” Albus nodded slightly. “What may I do to make your stay more hospitable?”

“Nothing. Kreacher wants to go back to his home. Kreacher wants to see his Mistress. Kreacher has things to do.”

Albus nodded as the elf spoke. His lips pursed as he thought about what Kreacher said. “If I were sure that you would cause no harm, then I would feel comfortable releasing you. However...”

“Kreacher will harm no one.” Kreacher's voice was musical, its pitch raising and lowering as he spoke with a crafty smile. “Kreacher is safe to let go.”

Albus listened to the way Kreacher spoke while remembering what Remus had told him. He smiled in return. “My dear Kreacher, we both know that not to be true.”

His smile quickly falling from his face, Kreacher glared at Albus, mumbling unintelligibly under his breath.

Watching Kreacher closely, Albus crossed one leg over the other and settled himself more comfortably into the chair. “As I stated, I am here to ask you a few more questions, Kreacher.”

“Is that so?” Kreacher spoke slowly, his voice a low grumble. “What do you want to know? How many times Kreacher fucked your precious Mudblood?” Kreacher smiled evilly, his voice becoming a hiss. “Or how many times Kreacher can make her cum?”

His brows lowering, Albus spoke curtly to the elf. “Kreacher, those comments were unnecessarily crude, even for you.”

Continuing to glower at Albus, Kreacher crossed his arms and threw himself onto his bed. Wizard and elf stared at each other for several minutes before Albus sighed wearily.

“Let us begin, shall we, Kreacher? Need I remind you that I will get the answers to my questions in any way I deem necessary?” Albus pulled out the same flask as before and set it down on the low wooden table that Kreacher used for his meals. Kreacher's eyes followed the flask from Albus' pocket to the table with barely suppressed fury.

Taking a deep breath, Albus began. “I wish to know about your feelings in regards to Miss Granger.”

Surprised, Kreacher lowered his arms slightly. “Kreacher's feelings?”

Slowly, thoughtfully, Albus nodded once. “I do not completely believe that you merely wanted Miss Granger as a sexual toy for yourself. Nor do I believe that she was only to be used as a sex toy for the Lestranges. I find it difficult to believe that she was used to manipulate the Order, but I acknowledge that it is possible. An ingenious plan, if I do say so myself, though I feel that it is, as they say, a stretch. I must confess that I am at a loss when it comes to understanding this whole scenario. In my many years of life, I have never heard of a situation such as this.”

“A situation such as what?”

“An elf, such as yourself,” Albus inclined his head towards Kreacher, “taking possession of a witch. It is unheard of.”

Kreacher shook his head slowly. “Kreacher is not the first.”

“That may be true from years past. However, if it is currently occurring in other households, then it is a very well kept secret.” Albus straightened his back as he leaned forward slightly. “I wish to understand why, exactly, you took Miss Granger. Is it due to the lack of female elves for you at Grimmauld Place?”

“No.”

Albus' eyebrows shot up at the swift, curt answer of the elf. “No... what?”

“No, it is not because there were not any,” Kreacher looked away irritably, “female elves.”

“You weren't lonely?”

Gritting his teeth, Kreacher ground out his reply. “Kreacher was at first.” Thinking a moment before giving a deep, weary, sigh as his shoulders drooped slightly, Kreacher continued, his voice subdued. “But then, Kreacher became used to being alone with his Mistress' portrait for company.” Tracing an invisible line on his thigh with his thumb, Kreacher reflected upon his years alone. “When Master was freed, Kreacher was unhappy, he didn't like the intrusion of all the people Master allowed into the house.”

“I see.” Albus thought a moment before continuing. “When did you first notice your growing interest in Miss Granger?”

His shoulders squaring and ears perking up, the elf spoke wistfully. “The moment she entered Kreacher's world. Kreacher could smell her. Then Kreacher found her and saw that she was ripe.” Kreacher smiled as he nodded. “Very nice.”

Albus nodded absently. “Yes, yes, she was indeed on her way to physical maturity, to becoming a woman. But then, so was young Miss Weasley.”

“Little Doe did not smell good.” Kreacher leaned forward slightly. “And she was not to be touched.”

“Oh?” Albus tilted his head slightly as he studied the elf. “And, why would that be?”

“She is Pureblood.” Kreacher's tone told Albus that the elf thought his question absurd.

“Her Pureblood status protected her in some way?”

Annoyed, Kreacher nodded, his eyes rolling in a disturbingly human-like way.

“I was under the impression that Mrs. Black, Sirius' mother, and yourself were sexually active with one another. Is that not correct?”

Chin lifting slightly, Kreacher's reply was curt. “My Mistress is perfect.”

“I mean no disrespect to your former Mistress, Kreacher. However, I am confused. Was Mrs. Black not Pureblood?”

“She was Kreacher's Mistress. Kreacher did what his Mistress wanted.”

“I see.”

Kreacher was fairly sure the BratMaster didn't see, would never 'see'. And it irked him. The BratMaster obviously did not understand the wonderful relationship he had with his Mistress. 'But then, how could he? He does not love women like Kreacher does.'

Bending his knees slightly and leaning forward, Kreacher's hands flew about as he spoke in a hiss. “Mistress needed relief of her tensions after Master died. Kreacher had been a good elf when they used the slave room together, they taught Kreacher many things to do with the slaves. Oh, yes, they did. Kreacher liked using the slaves. Mistress knew Kreacher was good, and that Kreacher liked witches.”

“It is my understanding that not all of the 'slaves' were witches. Is this true?”

Kreacher looked sad as he nodded slowly. “That is true. The Muggles didn't last as long as the witches. It was Kreacher's job to remove them when we were done with them.”

Albus studied the elf for a long moment before speaking. “Tell me, Kreacher. What did your Mistress and Master do with the slaves?”

Smiling, Kreacher cackled gleefully. “Oh, Master was so creative when he used them! Chains and whippings and ropes! Master didn't need silly magazines for his creativeness. Oh, no, he didn't! It was funniest when he used magic on the Muggles! They couldn't understand that they were restrained with invisible ropes. They didn't know why they did things they detested. Master knew how to use the slaves, and how to make them do things with him and Mistress and each other. It was lovely to watch!”

“Forgive me, Kreacher, but it sounds as if your Master enjoyed torturing the slaves.”

“Of course he did!” Kreacher nodded indignantly. “They were Muggles and Muggleborns – they weren't worthy of kindness or affection!”

“It sounds as if the slaves were used for sexual deviations.”

“Of course.” Kreacher was firm with his reply. “Some things Mistress didn't like doing, so the slaves fulfilled Master's desires.”

His hands sliding down so they covered his knee, Albus gave Kreacher a thoughtful look. “I see.”

Kreacher gave Albus an annoyed glare in return, his eyes narrowing slightly.

“And, your Mistress? What did she do with the slaves?”

“Oh, Mistress liked women as much as Master did.” Kreacher crossed his legs as he relaxed against the gray stone wall behind him. “The slaves became very adept at pleasing Mistress. Pleasing them both. Oh, yes, they did.”

“Did they, perhaps,” Albus pointed at the elf, “learn to please you as well?”

“Of course! Mistress enjoyed watching Kreacher be pleasured! The cries of the slaves as they performed was intoxicating. Mistress loved it.” Kreacher's voice lowered. “Kreacher loved it.”

“Uh, yes.” Albus struggled to keep the disgust off his face. “Did your current Master, Sirius, ever join in?”

Kreacher shook his head adamantly. “No.”

“Never?” 'At least this part of what Sirius told me is true. Thankfully.'

“No.”

“Why not? It would seem that his parents would want to show their son their ways of abusing the slaves.”

Eyes narrowed, Kreacher's voice was tight when he responded. “The slaves were not abused! The lowly things were treated as they should have been. But Master Sirius did not agree with the teachings about Mudbloods that his parents tried to teach him. Oh, no, he didn't.” Eye's half-lidded, Kreacher's chin rose slightly. “So, they chose not to include him in the fun when he became of age.”

“I see. But Regulus became a Death Eater, therefore, he must have agreed with their teaching, did he not? Did he join in 'on the fun'?”

“Yes. But he was disturbed after the first time he was taken down and Mistress decided he needed more time before being brought down again.”

Albus thought about Regulus, remembering how different he was from Sirius. Different and yet similar. Both young men vivacious and extremely intelligent, both full of mischief though Regulus somehow managed to keep himself out of trouble whereas Sirius could, or would, not.

“You state 'when he became of age', Kreacher. How old were the boys when the Blacks considered them to be 'of age'?”

“Fifteen.”

Albus sat back in shock. 'Fifteen? My Gods, poor Regulus. So young, so, so young. At least Sirius was spared that atrocity.'

“And, you state that Regulus was 'disturbed after the first time he was taken down'? In what way?”

“He didn't handle the crying and begging of the slaves very well. Or their screaming. Kreacher saw Master Regulus wincing when they screamed. Kreacher saw he liked their bodies, but didn't like how they were treated.” Kreacher stared at Albus levelly. “Master Regulus was a wonderful son, but he needed more time to appreciate what his parents did for fun.”

His fingers coming up to steeple before him so that he had to peer through his fingers, Albus watched Kreacher as he sighed out, “I see, I see.” 'Fifteen. If only I had known, but what could I have done about it? Nothing, nothing at all. Perhaps I could have helped Regulus deal with it in some way.'

Smartly nodding his head, Kreacher reiterated firmly, “Master Regulus just needed more time.”

“Mmmmm.” Albus didn't know what to say to Kreacher's statement. It was obvious, from what Kreacher was saying, that Regulus wasn't as cruel as his parents. Is sounded that, at such a tender age, he found torture was not his cup of tea. 'It's unfortunate that the lesson he learned at fifteen didn't last a lifetime. Perhaps he would still be alive if he hadn't become a Death Eater. Perhaps. But, to become a Death Eater means you must see and do some particularly distasteful things, amongst them being the torture and murder of others.' Albus sighed wearily. 'Severus has educated me on much of what he did and saw as a new recruit, and I don't understand how others can sensationalize their deplorable activities. From what Severus has told me of his experiences as a Death Eater, many men would be overwhelmed, tormented for the rest of their lives to the point of instability.'

“Tell me, Kreacher, in what way did Regulus show he was disturbed over what he saw? Other than wincing? Did he tell his parents he didn't like it? Did he, perhaps, cry? What happened, Kreacher? What happened to your Master Regulus?”

Pouting as he spoke, Kreacher's eyes misted over as he remembered the anguish his young Master experienced so many years before. “Master Regulus became very quiet and nervous. Mistress saw this and had Kreacher take him away.” Kreacher frowned as he wiped away a tear. “Master Regulus had nightmares after that.”

Wizard and elf looked at each other for a few moments before turning away, each saddened, though for very different reasons.

“Nightmares.” It was a statement, not a question.

“Yes. Master Regulus never spoke of it, but Kreacher knew his poor Master Regulus was disturbed by what he saw in the slave room. Master Regulus just needed to 'toughen up', that was what Mistress said. Oh, yes, she did. She said Master Regulus would come around someday, but Mistress never took him down again.” A look of confusion passed over Kreacher's face. “Kreacher thinks it worried Mistress to know Master Regulus was having nightmares after he was in the slave room.”

“She loved Regulus very much, didn't she?”

“Yes, we all did.” Kreacher wiped a tear from his eye, his lower lip trembling.

Sensing Kreacher's distress, Albus remained silent. They sat for a few minutes as Kreacher quietly mourned his young Master.

“I am sorry, Kreacher. I did not realize how much you adored Regulus.”

“Master Regulus was wonderful. He could do no wrong.” Kreacher slammed his fists down onto his thighs. “He was Mistress Black's favorite, and he was Kreacher's favorite as well. Mistress cried for days when he disappeared, and Kreacher could say nothing. Oh, Master, we miss you so much!” he wailed pitifully.

Again, Albus allowed Kreacher time to mourn his 'favorite' Master. He offered the elf a handkerchief but Kreacher turned his face away and grabbed his pillowcase. Once Kreacher calmed and dried his eyes, Albus began his questioning again.

“What happened to the slaves, Kreacher, that they 'didn't last long', as you put it?”

Kreacher harrumphed impatiently and rolled his eyes. His tone indicated he thought what happened should have been obvious. “Sometimes Mistress or Master would be too long with the whip, or holding them under water, or hit them too hard. Sometimes Mistress or Master got tired of them whining or begging, so they got rid of them.”

Taking in Kreacher's actions and tone, Albus stated his observation quietly. “You sound very nonchalant over the murder of innocent people, Kreacher.”

“They were Muggles and Mudbloods, they weren't innocents. They were wiped out, like bugs. They weren't murdered.”

Albus closed his eyes wearily. Where did human beings - and by extension, house elves - come to such a conclusion? How could they shelve the pain and fear they saw in the eyes of those they despised and yet, at the same time, be able to feel deep empathy and sympathy for others who they felt were “like them”? If his precious Master Regulus were being tortured in such a way, Albus was sure Kreacher would have been crying pathetically as he spoke.

Again, Albus forced himself to keep from showing his true feelings, ensuring an 'I'm interested in what you are saying' look was on his face as he continued to question the elf. “You state they killed them. Did they, perhaps, use the killing curse?”

“No!” Kreacher snapped back. “That was too good for them. My Master and Mistress had their ways when they decided it was time to dispose of the slaves. The slaves were always considered disposable and their deaths were just as enjoyable as their pathetic lives in the slave room. Master always made sure their deaths were interesting. Entertaining.” Kreacher brightened. “It was funny to see them in a glass box filled with water and no way out.”

'A glass box? Filled with water. From the sounds of it, that seems a mild way to kill their victims. Almost kind compared to the murder of Death Eater victims.' “They drowned them when they were done with them?”

Kreacher shrugged. “That was one way. Master and Mistress were very creative in how they did away with their disposable sex slaves.”

'Disposable sex slaves? Merlin.' Albus swallowed thickly. He remembered a few students disappearing over the years and now wondered if any of them had met their fate in the Black's slave room. He sat back in shock, wondering if there were any other slave rooms being actively used in Pureblood homes. A student hadn't disappeared in years, of that he knew, but that did not mean Muggles weren't being used instead. Severus never mentioned these rooms, so he wasn't sure if the Potions Master was aware of them. 'Surely, he is. He must be aware of them. His status as a Death Eater would be enough for others to share the knowledge of these rooms with him, would they not?' Albus decided to ask Severus about the situation the next time he saw him. 'However, if Severus knew about these rooms, why didn't he tell me about them? He must have known how important it would be for him to tell me about them. I suspected, of course, that these dungeons existed, and now I have proof. But why didn't Severus report their existence to me? I'll deal with this later, first I have an elf to deal with.'

“Did you not feel sorry for the girls?” Albus waved a hand carelessly as he spoke. “Surely you knew they were frightened, did you not?”

“So? So what if they were afraid as long as Mistress and Master were enjoying themselves?”

Albus leaned forward in his chair as he intently studied the elf with his faded blue eyes. He so wished he understood this type of reasoning. A few moments before, the elf expressed feeling sorry for his young Master who was adversely affected by seeing torture first hand as well as mourning the death of the young man, but yet calmly recounted the torture and murders of innocent young girls without a hint of remorse. “You felt your Mistress and Master's enjoyment and happiness were more important than the suffering of the girls who were enslaved?”

Kreacher looked insulted. “Of course.”

“You did not think that the enslaved girls had families who were worried about them and cried for them as you did for Regulus a few moments ago?”

“They were Muggles and Muggleborns! It did not matter!”

“If this were so, then I fail to see why Miss Granger was treated so well by you. You would think she would have been considered a disposable sex slave as well.”

Kreacher sniffed disdainfully as he looked at Albus with half-lidded eyes. “The Mudblood needed to last a long time.”

“Because?”

Sitting forward, Kreacher threw his arms about in irritation. 'How can the BratMaster not understand the problem Kreacher had? How can he be so, so, so... dense?' “How many Mudbloods do you see coming through Kreacher's home? Most of the women are either too old or Pureblood.” Kreacher crossed his arms in a huff. “Kreacher is not allowed any Purebloods unless given permission by his Master.”

“You could not get your own Muggles? Surely, with your elven magic, you would have been able to procure your own Muggle sex slaves?”

Kreacher growled in frustration. “Kreacher did not want them! Kreacher had no desires until he smelled his Mudblood.”

Frowning at Kreacher's obvious irritation, Albus pulled on his beard a moment before continuing his questioning. He decided to change the topic slightly, hoping to unbalance the elf somewhat. “Sirius is your Master now, is he not?”

Kreacher took in a noisy breath through his nose. His reply was terse. “Yes.”

“Did he give you permission to 'use' Miss Weasley?”

“Kreacher had to persuade Master. Master didn't want to use Little Doe, not at first. But Kreacher got him to see reason. Then he began using her for himself, once he saw how useful she was. Oh, yes, he did. Then he started sharing her with me, just like with his Kitten. We had an upstairs sex slave and a downstairs one. Ohhhhh, yes, we did.” Kreacher smiled as he remembered some of the things they had done with Ginny, who was forced to perform for them, with and without the Imperius.

A shadow passed over Albus' face. “That was when he had you bring Miss Weasley from Hogwarts?”

“Yes.”

Albus closed his eyes and counted to ten. It still angered him greatly that Sirius had Kreacher do such a thing to young Miss Weasley. He told himself repeatedly that Sirius never would have done that if he hadn't been affected by the elven teaching, but it was a struggle to keep that in mind.

He also saw a potential danger with the fact that the elf was able to enter and exit the castle, even taking a student out of the castle confines, without his knowledge. He wondered if this had ever happened before. Were others aware that house elves, those not employed at Hogwarts, were able to bring people into the castle and remove them without anyone's knowledge? He sincerely hoped not. If they were to become aware of it, he would have a serious security breach in Hogwarts' defenses become a public scandal. And, once it became public, Hogwarts would be defenseless. This was a problem he needed to fix immediately, and one he had been struggling to deal with since he discovered the problem.

“Was Bellatrix aware of your removing Miss Weasley for Sirius' pleasure?”

“No, Mistress had no desire to use a Pureblood for entertainment. She was more interested in Kreacher's Mudblood.”

“I see.” Albus was relieved to know that Bellatrix was unaware of Kreacher's activities with Miss Weasley. He pondered his next line of questioning while the elf stared at him defiantly.

“Did you need permission to 'use' Miss Granger?”

“No. But, it helped to have Master Sirius think he was allowing Kreacher to use her.”

“Oh? In what way did it help?”

“Master Sirius wanted the Mudblood as much as Kreacher did. He could have told Kreacher not to use his slave, to leave her alone. Master could have decided to be selfish and keep the Mudblood to himself. If Master did that, Kreacher would have had to obey. That would have been bad. But Kreacher made sure Master's dreams were filled with images of Kreacher and the Mudblood doing things together. Oh, yes, they were.”

“I see.”

“Master liked what he saw in his dreams. Kreacher made sure of that.”

Albus nodded, then calmly gestured with his hand for Kreacher to go on.

“He was the one to take her and hide her for Kreacher to use. Master thought he was in charge. But Kreacher was in charge, and used Master to get at the Mudblood.”

“How did you know Sirius would give you permission to 'use' Miss Granger?”

“The dreams, old man. Kreacher told you, he used the dreams. Master is weak-minded. That prison weakened him. He is easy for Kreacher to manipulate. Master liked the Mudblood, Kreacher just had to train Master to allow Kreacher to use her.” Kreacher nodded knowingly. “Sex is a very powerful tool during the nightly training sessions. Oh, yes, it is.”

“Sex is very powerful, yes. All animals feel the strong pull for sexual procreation, Kreacher.”

Kreacher nodded. “Yes, but only humans respond to the nighttime teaching of elves.”

“All humans? Not just those who are magical?”

Kreacher nodded again.

“But, as you stated, they must be weak of mind?”

Shrugging while shaking his head, Kreacher pulled at an ear thoughtfully. “The weaker mind merely makes the person easier to teach. Nothing more.”

“This includes both males and females?”

“Young females, before they mature.”

“Once a female 'matures', she is not trainable via your dream teaching?”

“No.” Kreacher shook his head sadly. “As Kreacher told the BratMaster before, females are different from males. All males are trainable, though some are far more difficult than others.” Kreacher thought about the teaching he'd performed on the Potions Master and shook his head sadly. That was one man he had wanted to train and he wasn't sure he had gotten anywhere with him. He remembered with irritation the man groaning the name 'Lily' under his breath after Kreacher had worked so hard to teach him a lesson. The Potions Master never repeated back the instructions he was given, he just said 'Lily'. Frowning as he thought about his first failed pupil, Kreacher sighed dramatically.

“A man can be trained for life?”

Kreacher looked Albus in the eye. “Yes.”

“But, a female may only be taught until she is mature?”

“Kreacher was told that the teaching of a female must be started when young, before she matures. They are then teachable forever more.”

“And, when is a female considered mature? When menstruation begins?”

“Kreacher knows the Mudblood was cycling before he began his teaching, so the monthly bleed does not stop the ability to be taught. Oh, no, it doesn't.”

“Then, at what point does the ability to teach the female stop?”

“Kreacher does not know. He just knows that Kreacher was able to teach Master's Kitten.”

'Interesting. Young ladies are often still immature even after they begin menstruating, so it makes sense that that is not the termination of an elf's ability to make them a pupil. Could it have something to do with hormones, I wonder? Women have different hormones flowing through their veins than men. That would make sense as to why males would still be susceptible and females not at some point. Perhaps a woman needs to reach a certain level of hormonal balance before she is no longer trainable.'

Albus sat back, looking incredulous, and plucked at an eyebrow. “So, you are saying that you could teach me to do things that I normally wouldn't do?”

“Given enough time, yes.”

“You could teach me to do anything? Murder, steal, maim others?”

Kreacher shook his head emphatically, his ears swaying about. “No, no. Elven teaching is only for those of the sexual arts.”

“You would not be able to teach me, or Sirius, or Miss Granger, to kill another person?”

“No.”

Continuing to pluck at his brow thoughtfully, Albus looked down at Kreacher with genuine interest. “But yet, you could teach us all to desire one another?”

“Yes.”

'Intriguing.' “Yet, Kreacher, you were able to teach Sirius to kidnap Miss Granger.”

“No, that was Master's idea. Kreacher just nudged the idea along until it became a reality.”

“You don't put these ideas into the heads of your pupils?”

“No. The true desire must be there first. Then Kreacher can expand upon it and make it grow.”

“I see. So, Sirius wanted to kidnap Miss Granger, and you made it so that the desire became so strong that Sirius finally performed the deed?”

“Yes.”

“If someone wanted to murder another, but were not acting upon their desires because they knew it went against the social norms, you could then...”

“Yes.”

“Tell me about young Mr. and Miss Weasley. And the twins. Did they... desire one another... before you began your teaching?”

“No, no. Kreacher told you. The teaching is only for the sexual arts. Kreacher can make people do things, sexual things, they normally would not do.”

“So, what you are telling me is that, had you not taught them, none of the Weasleys would have become sexually involved with one another?”

“That is what Kreacher is telling you, yes.”

“Are the twins still,” Albus paused briefly as he thought of how to ask his question, “involved with one another?”

“If no one has stopped them, then yes.”

Grimacing, Albus tried to think of a way to start a discussion with the twins so that they would admit to their activities with one another. 'But, what good would that do? They would, first, have to believe me when they are told their sexual feelings for each other were the result of elven teaching and second, they would have to agree to have their memories erased to reduce the emotional trauma they would experience. I can't selectively do a memory charm on all of their sexual activities with one another. One or two memories perhaps, but not all. Young Miss Weasley and Mr. Weasley have had huge chunks of their memories Obliviated, I can't do that to the twins as well. It would be far too suspicious.' Albus shrugged. 'They aren't harming anyone with their activities. I guess it will be all right to leave things be.'

“Kreacher could teach them to let you join in, if you wish.”

Shaken, Albus looked up sharply at Kreacher's words. “What?”

“Kreacher said he could teach them to let you join in. That is, if you wish. Kreacher knows of your desires when it comes to these things.” Kreacher gave Albus a toothy smile.

'How the hell does a house elf know of my sexual orientation? Not even Minerva knows!'

Clearing his throat uncomfortably while trying to regain his composure, Albus shook his head. “No, thank you, Kreacher. That will not be necessary.”

“Even the BratMaster needs release.” Kreacher's voice once again took on a musical quality. “It would be easy enough to teach them for you.”

“I said 'no', Kreacher.” Albus spoke with authority. “I do not desire for you to do that.”

“Kreacher believes the Headmaster of the Brats would be much more relaxed if he had the twins to service him. Think about it, their lips would be so warm on your...”

Albus was quick to stop Kreacher before he finished his sentence. “Kreacher, I said 'no'.”

“Just think about it. Their tongues...”

Albus raised his wand. “Kreacher, I am warning you. I said 'no' and I mean 'no'.”

“But, Headmaster, you would have four hands and two mouths servicing you at the same time. Two dicks to... eek!”

Kreacher suddenly found himself upside down and being shaken roughly. He felt as if his insides were going to fall out of his mouth. He struggled to shriek out, “Stop!” but could only emit a stuttered “St-st-st-st-st-st-st-st!”. Finally, the shaking stopped and he was placed back upon the bed, none too gently, in an undignified heap. Once the room stopped vibrating and his vision cleared, Kreacher sat up and malevolently glared at Albus, his eyes narrowed slits.

Albus sat with his eyes closed, his breathing short, a sheen of perspiration upon his face. After a few moments, he opened his eyes and looked squarely at the defiant elf before him. “Do not ever attempt to have me do any such activity with a student, Kreacher. Do not suggest it, do not imply it, do not think about it whilst in my presence. Are we clear?”

Taking in a shaky breath, Kreacher shrugged. “If you say so,” he said with a toothy smile.

Albus stared at Kreacher for a long time, eye wide, his mind reeling with the implications of what the elf had said, before clearing his throat again. Once he was sure he had himself under control, he began his questioning again.

“Moving on, Kreacher. Tell me, the feelings that Remus has for Miss Granger, are those genuine or are they feelings that were manufactured by yourself?”

“They are real. The Wolf liked the Mudblood and desired her, but he felt it was wrong due to her age and his being her professor in the past. Once he started to accept being taught in his dreams, the Wolf's feelings for the Mudblood made Kreacher's teaching of him much easier.”

“And you knew of his feelings about her because...”

“The Wolf told Kreacher during his teaching sessions. Kreacher had to work around the Wolf's silly belief that he was too old for the Mudblood.”

Albus sat back and stared silently at Kreacher, his lips pursed thoughtfully.

Taking Albus' silence as an indication the wizard wanted him to continue talking, Kreacher went on with his tale. “Kreacher made him see past all that. It became very easy once Master made them fuck each other.”

“I see.” Albus nodded absently as he thought about Remus and his current obsession with Miss Granger. “At the time of your teaching of Remus, you were aware that he was involved with another woman, were you not?”

Kreacher nodded. “Of course.”

“Yet you taught him to desire Miss Granger anyway.”

“Kreacher told you before. Master greatly desired seeing the Wolf using his Kitten, so Kreacher worked to make sure it happened. Master told the Wolf he could use both women, but the Wolf was being what Master called 'all noble', and refused to use them both.”

“I see.”

Kreacher's lips twisted in irritation. “Kreacher tried to teach the Wolf to use both women, but he was being stubborn. Master spoke of a desire to share the Metamorphmagus with the Wolf, but the Wolf refused to do so deep down within himself, which made things harder. Kreacher was able to teach him to share the Mudblood, but did not have enough time to teach him to share the Metamorphmagus.” Kreacher huffily crossed his arms as he remembered his frustration with his Wolf teaching. That man was nearly as irritating to teach as the Potions Master.

“Please allow me ensure that I understand you correctly, Kreacher. With time, you can teach all men and young women to do things of a sexual nature that they normally would not do? You can actually create desires that normally are not present, am I correct?”

Smiling, Kreacher nodded. “If given enough time, yes.”

“A woman may be taught 'forever more', as you put it, once teaching as begun. Therefore, you will be able to teach Miss Granger until she dies?”

“Yes.”

“Will another elf be able to take over if you were to die?”

Kreacher frowned at the question. “Kreacher does not know.”

“I see.” 'How could this be? If the teaching is indeed due to hormonal balance, how could an elf continue teaching a woman who is beyond maturity? Will Miss Granger's hormones now remain in a state of flux? Will she remain immature due to this?' Albus sat up straighter, his fingers steepling before him as he mused, his thumbs on his lips. 'Miss Granger was mature beyond her years to begin with, so that is good. But she is far from the level of maturity of a grown woman. Surely there is a way to reverse this process, this elven teaching, isn't there? It seems to me that any elf would be able to do this teaching once it has begun. Dobby, Winky, any of the other elves. How could we not know of this? How could it have been forgotten? By both elves and wizard-kind? How strange.' A look of horror came over Albus' face. 'Now that Voldemort is aware of this elven teaching, it will be easy for him to have the elves teach the children of Death Eaters. Or perhaps the children of those who oppose him? Would this be useful to him in some way? Is the teaching of Sirius just an experiment so he can see how best to use it? I absolutely must find books that refer to this teaching, there has be some somewhere – either in my library or Severus', we both have an extensive collection. Perhaps in the Black library? That would be a definite possibility.'

Albus turned his attention back to Kreacher. “You are unable to teach someone to do something that is not sexual if they do not desire it. Am I correct?”

His frown deepening, Kreacher nodded slowly.

“Therefore, you would not be able to teach, for example, Miss Granger to kill me, if she did not have this desire somewhere in the back of her mind, is that correct?”

Again, Kreacher nodded.

“But, if she thought about it, you could then tease this thought until it became an overpowering desire?”

Kreacher smiled and his eyes lit up as he nodded. “It must not be a passing thought, it must be a true desire.”

“In other words, if I were to anger her and she wished me dead as an emotional reflex, as all children do of their parents from time to time, for example, you would not be able to make her kill me?”

Kreacher considered Albus' words before shaking his head sadly. “No, that is beyond what Kreacher can do with his teaching.”

“I see. However, if she began to truly dislike me and started to earnestly wish me dead, you could bend her mind to eventually make her murder me?”

“The true desire must be there, yes.”

'Merlin. I must keep Kreacher away from Sirius then, mustn't I? Why on earth would this be? Elves can make a person do something sexually that they wouldn't ordinarily do, but yet are unable to make them do anything else? How odd. If they use sex for teaching, why wouldn't any subject be teachable? Does it have to do with some type of chemical signal in the brain, I wonder? A chemical signal that is triggered by the sexual act the person is to perform? This is all so confusing. I must discuss this with Severus, perhaps he can decipher this better than I.' Albus' eyebrows shot up and he nodded slightly to himself. 'Perhaps Remus would be able to figure it out as well, he certainly has proven himself able to put obscure clues together.' Albus frowned. 'But, perhaps Remus' thinking process has been tainted due to the elven teaching.' Albus' eyes flicked to the elf. 'I'll discuss this with the both of them. Between the three of us, we may be able to figure it out.'

“So, I am to understand that Remus truly desired Miss Granger, and you were able to manipulate him in his dreams until he could not resist her?”

“The Wolf was nearly as difficult to teach as the Potions Master. The Wolf's mind is strong. Master had to force him to use the Mudblood before he truly began to take on Kreacher's teaching.”

“I see. Are you saying that, had Sirius not forced Miss Granger and Remus to couple, that Remus would have been able to resist your teaching?”

“No.”

“No? I don't understand. Please explain.”

“The Wolf would have succumbed to Kreacher's teaching. In time. Kreacher just needed to work harder on the Wolf. His defenses would have broken down, his desires would have become strong enough that he would have taken the Mudblood without Master.” Kreacher stared at his hands thoughtfully. “Kreacher could have used the Wolf in place of Master to get to the Mudblood, but it would have taken too long. Kreacher was impatient and wanted her.” Kreacher sighed. “The Wolf may have been a better choice, his mind is more organized and less prone to error. But, he is too 'noble' for Kreacher. He would have been too difficult to make do the things Kreacher desired.”

“You are confusing me, Kreacher. Does a pupil of yours need to desire someone sexually before you can begin teaching them, or not?”

“For things involving sex, Kreacher can do anything with his teaching.”

“Such as cause others to desire Miss Granger when they normally would not have?”

Kreacher nodded.

“You could not teach them to kill her unless they had that in mind to begin with?”

Taking in a wistful sigh, Kreacher nodded again.

“Therefore, you would be able to make Bellatrix kill Miss Granger at any time you wanted?”

“Mistress is too old for Kreacher's teaching.”

“Of course. Yes, of course. You did clarify how the teaching of females were different from males, forgive me. However, you would be able to do this teaching with Rodolphus?”

“Yes. But, he would have killed my Mudblood long ago if it weren't for their promise to Kreacher.”

“Their promise?”

Kreacher's hands flew over his mouth and he closed his eyes as he shook his head.

“Kreacher, answer me.”

Kreacher shook his head.

Albus sighed. He would get the information out of this elf before the night was through, of that he was sure. He looked at the flask on the table next to him, then looked at the elf. He didn't want to use the Veritaserum unless he had to, because Severus did not know if the potion would work on an elf or not. He had tested it on several Hogwarts elves and had conflicting results – for some reason, only a few of the elves were affected by the potion while the rest were not. They were unable to discover the reason for this disparity. Albus didn't want to use his last card unless he had to; for the time being, it was best if he continued to use it as a threat. 'I may have to use Legilimency on him again. I really don't want to do that again. His way of thinking is chaotic and gives me a headache, his memories so disturbing I find myself feeling ill after performing the spell upon him. Even Dobby is difficult to use Legilimency upon, and I like that little elf.' Albus looked at Kreacher. 'In truth, Kreacher has already given me more information than I expected today, some of it by mistake. I just need to keep pushing him until he gives me all of his secrets.'

“All right, Kreacher. We'll come back to that. You state that you can teach anyone to desire anyone else sexually. Is that correct?”

“Yes, even you. Kreacher could teach you to desire the Mudblood. Oh, yes, he could.”

'I seriously doubt that.'

“I see. Yet, it seems that you have only mentioned those who already held a desire for Miss Granger.”

“The Potions Master did not desire the Mudblood. As Kreacher said, he knows you do not desire her, either. But Kreacher already knows that you would be easy to teach. Oh, yes, you would.”

Albus sat up in alarm, his back rigid. “You have been teaching me? I do not recall any dreams.”

“No, Kreacher has not taught you.” Kreacher smiled. “But Kreacher could, if you wish. You would have such lovely dreams, I can assure you. The twins would be...”

Kreacher's voice began to grate on Albus' nerves, just as it did for Remus, and he had to count to ten before he was sure he would be able to speak calmly. “No, Kreacher. I do not desire you to teach me in my sleep. I forbid you to do such a thing.”

Kreacher closed his eyes and turned his head slightly, his chin in the air, his arms crossing, his voice haughty. “You forget, you are not Kreacher's Master, you cannot forbid Kreacher to do anything.”

Albus looked at Kreacher warily, unsure of what to say. Finally, he took in a deep breath and gave Kreacher a stern look. “Then, perhaps, it is best for you to remain in this room indefinitely, don't you think?”

Scowling, Kreacher turned away from Albus. This wasn't going well at all. Perhaps his bluff wasn't a good idea. Kreacher turned back and glared at the wizard. 'I shouldn't have said that. Now he will be wary and Kreacher will have a hard time getting to him so he can work on teaching him. It will be more difficult, but not impossible.' Kreacher frowned. 'He will probably be as hard to teach as the Potions Master, but Kreacher could do it. When Kreacher teaches him, the BratMaster will learn new things to do with his students. Oh, yes, he will. And Kreacher will join in, too. Kreacher and his Mudblood.' Kreacher's eyes narrowed as he smiled wickedly. 'The BratMaster will be Kreacher's newest pupil when he gets out of here. Oh, yes, he will.'

Albus noticed how closely the elf was scrutinizing him and dearly wished to know what he was thinking. “You state you know I would be easy to teach. How so?”

“Kreacher won't tell.”

“I see.” Albus eyed the elf for a moment, wondering about what he had said. 'There is no way that I would be easy for an elf to teach. I know Occlumency. I am too set in my ways. I know right from wrong. There's just no way. The elf is bluffing.'

“Let us continue. Had Remus not desired Miss Granger, you would still have been able to teach him to use her sexually?”

Not wishing to speak to the BratMaster, Kreacher nodded curtly.

“But you would not have been able to have Remus kill her, unless he truly desired it?”

Kreacher sighed loudly as he rolled his eyes and threw his arms up in frustration. “Yesssssss.”

While pulling thoughtfully on his beard, Albus considered the elf for a moment. He still had the same questions that he had the last time he spoke with the elf. 'The elf is so twisted, so mixed up with his desires. He wanted Miss Granger for himself, yet he orchestrated her kidnapping by Sirius so they could share her. Then he teaches others to desire her as well. Plus, he worked on making them share other people? Merlin, what a tangled web this elf has woven. In addition, he brought Miss Granger to the attention of Bellatrix, a woman who could have very easily killed Miss Granger instead of using her as she did. Why would he do that? Interesting.'

“Let me shift my questioning for a moment, Kreacher. Did you bring the fact that Miss Granger was your sex slave to Bellatrix's attention, or did she teach you to take her as your sex slave?”

“Mistress overhead Kreacher talking to one of her house elves. Kreacher was sad and frustrated. He wanted his Mudblood, but did not know how to make her want him to touch her. He did not know how to make her his sex slave without forcing himself on her. Kreacher wanted her to be willing, Kreacher thinks a willing sex slave is more fun.”

“I see. So she offered to teach you this ancient elven magic you spoke of before?”

“Yes, the next time Master yelled at Kreacher to get out, Kreacher went to visit his Mistress. Kreacher was tired of being told to 'get out', so he started visiting the elves of his Mistresses instead of just going to another room. One glorious day, Mistress Bellatrix told Kreacher about this forgotten magic that the Dark Lord had discovered, that only elves could do. But Kreacher was afraid to use this magic, he was afraid his Mistress Black wouldn't approve.”

Albus' eyebrows had shot up as Kreacher spoke and his mouth went dry.

“Mistress Bellatrix said that as long as Kreacher punished the Mudblood, Mistress Black would approve. And she said that since Kreacher's Master desired the Mudblood as well, he could be used to help the Dark Lord. She said the Dark Lord promised Kreacher he could keep his Mudblood after the war if he would do certain things with his teaching.” Kreacher smiled brightly. “Kreacher was only too happy to agree.”

“So, this idea, to do all this teaching of various Order members, was originally Tom's?”

Kreacher nodded hesitantly, unsure if Tom was also Voldemort. Realizing he had given too much information away, he struggled vainly to get up so he could ram his head into the wall, but he found he was frozen in place. He turned a hateful eye towards the BratMaster before beating the back of his head against the wall behind him.

Albus sighed tiredly and conjured a pillow behind the elf. Kreacher growled at him in return.

“You were unable to have the Order members kill each other, so sex was used instead?”

His shoulders shaking with the effort, Kreacher put his head back against the pillow and turned his head slightly so he could see the wizard from the corner of his eyes as he uncharacteristically giggled out his answer. “Yes.”

“Intriguing. Tom must have known this teaching would take a long time, did he not?”

“Who is this 'Tom' you speak of?”

“Tom, my dear elf, is the name your Dark Lord went by before he took on the presumptuous name of Voldemort.”

“The Dark Lord is not 'presumptuous', he is great, and he is a patient man. A most wonderful and generous and patient man. Oh, yes, he is. Mistress said he had nothing but time while some of his other plans were becoming reality.”

“And, these plans are?”

“Kreacher does not know. Kreacher didn't care about the other plans. Kreacher just wanted his Mudblood. Kreacher was too eager to learn of this ancient magic.”

“You are telling me that Tom, or Voldemort, knew of all this that was going on between you, Miss Granger, and the other people who were staying at Grimmauld Place?”

“Most of it, yes. Mistress said the Dark Lord were most amused with the stories Kreacher told about his Mudblood and Master.”

“I see. So, you are telling me that you spoke to Tom yourself?”

“No. Kreacher told his tales to Mistress Bella, and she told them to the Dark Lord. Kreacher was favored by the Dark Lord. Oh, yes, he was. The Dark Lord made Kreacher happy. And Kreacher was very happy when he began teaching the Mudblood in her sleep and she began doing what Kreacher taught her.”

“You started your teaching with Miss Granger? She was your first pupil?”

“Yes.”

“When did you realize your teaching was truly effective?”

“When the Mudblood began wearing her sexy nighties. She had been responding to Kreacher's touch, but Kreacher wasn't sure his teaching was taking hold until he saw his Mudblood in the nighties.”

“When did you begin teaching Sirius?”

“Not long after the Mudblood began wearing her nighties. Oh, Kreacher was anxious to have his Mudblood all to himself, but he had to do what the Dark Lord wanted first.”

“You stated that 'after the war', your Lord Voldemort promised Miss Granger to you?”

Kreacher nodded gleefully.

“But, you had to allow her to be used by Sirius first?”

“Yes. Kreacher had complained to Mistress Bella about the Cherry Bowl Day. Mistress was happy to hear about Master's lusting after Kreacher's Mudblood. At first, Kreacher was not happy about it, but she said that Kreacher could use Master to get to the girl, to make the Mudblood mine. She said that the Dark Lord told her that the Mudblood would accept being used by Kreacher if it my Master allowed it.”

“So, using Sirius was all part of the plan?”

“Yes. Master wanted the Mudblood as much as Kreacher did, and he had already touched her with her consent on the Cherry Bowl Day. Kreacher had to work fast to make sure Master used the Mudblood with Kreacher. Kreacher saw Master looking at his filthy Mudblood magazines and he saw how they often showed two men using a woman. So, Kreacher started teaching Master to use the Mudblood with Kreacher in his dreams. Then Kreacher pointed out how the magazines Master bought nearly always had two men using a woman. Kreacher had to have his Master wanting to use the Mudblood with him or all of Kreacher's teaching would be for nothing.”

“Kreacher, you keep mentioning the 'Cherry Bowl Day' as if it is a holiday. I've never heard of it. Would you please explain what this holiday is?”

“It is not a holiday. It is the day Kreacher's Master ate cherries with the Mudblood and touched her for the first time.”

“You witnessed their first sexual interlude?”

“Kreacher hid in the kitchen and watched, yes.”

Albus closed his eyes, not sure he wanted to know any more about this Cherry Bowl Day.

“Tell me Kreacher, Sirius did not force himself upon Miss Granger on this Cherry Bowl Day, did he?”

“No, Master did not.”

“She was willing?”

“The Mudblood was unsure and seemed confused by what she did with my Master. She was also frightened, Kreacher could see it on her face. But Master was careful with her, he did not want to frighten Kreacher's Mudblood away.”

“I see. I am relieved to hear Miss Granger was not forced, at least for her very first sexual experience. Thank you for telling me that.”

Kreacher stared at Albus silently, a look of uncertainty upon his face.

“I am at a loss to understand why Miss Granger did not seek out help. From what I understand from Remus, Miss Granger was frightened and unhappy. I am aware that several people questioned her because they suspected she was being raped. Was Miss Granger raped at any point in time?”

“Kreacher's Mudblood wasn't... always happy...” Kreacher looked away from Albus as he repositioned his sheets slightly.

“Was Miss Granger threatened so she would keep quiet?”

Kreacher looked up angrily, his voice a snarl. “Of course she was. The Mudblood had to learn to obey. She was punished if she disobeyed.”

“Punished?”

“Yes, punished! Kreacher could not lose his Master and his Mudblood! The Mudblood was punished for not acting the way she should, she was punished for talking to Master's Godson and making him suspicious, she was punished for...”

“Miss Granger was punished for making Harry suspicious?”

“The Godson spoke with Master. He told Master about how she was behaving different, not acting normal. He told Master that he thought she had been raped. Lucky for Master, the Godson thought it was the Potions Master who raped her and not Master.” Kreacher growled. “The Mudblood had to be taught a lesson. A very good lesson. One she would not forget. So, she was punished.” Kreacher looked at Albus. “Thoroughly.”

'Now I understand why she kept quiet. Poor girl. I suspected as much. All those people around her who would help her without hesitation and she was too afraid to come forward about it. Remus hinted that she feared telling someone, and now I understand why. If I were her, I would fear the elf as well. And Sirius was definitely one to fear as well. The poor child.'

“I see.”

Kreacher's face screwed up in anger. He pointed at Albus while speaking, his finger repeatedly jabbing towards the wizard. “He sees. That's what he says – 'he sees'. You see nothing.”

Albus scratched his chin. “I see far more than you realize, Kreacher.” Albus took in a deep breath. “Let us continue, shall we, Kreacher? Let us move away from talk of punishment.” Albus waited until the elf nodded stiffly. “In the beginning, you used Sirius to get to Miss Granger.”

Kreacher nodded.

“And, in the beginning, that was your only goal?”

“Yes, Kreacher only wanted his Mudblood. He didn't care if he had to share her with Master. As long as she accepted the both of us using her, it didn't matter to Kreacher. After a while, the Mudblood let Kreacher do what he wanted without Master around, but Kreacher had to be careful to make sure he wasn't caught.”

“You were aware that the others within the household would not allow you to use Miss Granger?”

“Of course.”

“So you had to 'sneak' around to see her, is that correct?”

Rolling his eyes, Kreacher showed his annoyance. “Yes, BratMaster, yes. Kreacher had to sneak and Master had to sneak. We were sneaky until we were tired of it. That was when Master made the comment he wanted to kidnap the Mudblood and Kreacher agreed with him. Master said he was joking at first, but he really wasn't. Kreacher made sure that the 'joke' became a reality.”

“I see. So, tell me, how did using the others who lived at Grimmauld Place begin?”

“Kreacher told Mistress about Master Sirius wanting to use the Wolf.”

“I see.”

“Mistress Bellatrix told Kreacher that the Dark Lord said to encourage Master's desires to share the Mudblood with any of the other Order members as well.”

Albus' heart nearly thudded to a stop. “Did you make your Mistress aware of Sirius' desire to share Miss Granger with Severus?”

“Yes.”

“And, did you tell her of your teaching efforts?”

“Yes. But, the Potions Master was stubborn and Kreacher couldn't seem to teach him. Mistress Bellatrix thought it funny when Kreacher told her about his saying the name “Lily” every time Kreacher made the Potions Master cum.”

'Merlin. I have to tell Severus about this as soon as possible.'

Albus gulped audibly as he struggled to calm himself down. 'Was Miss Granger a trap for Severus? Was Tom aware of Miss Granger's whereabouts all along? Severus told me he was under the impression that Bellatrix was keeping her location a secret from Tom. And Lucius had made an agreement with Severus that Severus would use the girl for Bellatrix's amusement, with one of the stipulations being that Tom would not be told of Severus' involvement. If Tom knew about that, then he knew Severus was truly keeping secrets from him. Merlin.'

Albus wiped the sweat from his brow as he tried to concentrate on the winding tale Kreacher was telling him. “What does Tom know about Severus' involvement with the Order?”

Kreacher smiled. “He is aware that the Potions Master visits and 'gives reports'. He is aware that you are aware of the Potions Master being a double agent.”

“Go on.”

“That is all Kreacher knows.”

Albus sat back in his chair and looked up at the ceiling. He had to think about this some more. Kreacher was never in the room when Severus gave a report, of that he was sure. So, Tom did not know the extent of what Severus reported. That was good. Albus was aware that Tom knew Severus acted as a double agent, so he didn't worry about Kreacher stating this as fact. He just hoped against hope that Tom was not aware of Bellatrix's offer to Severus and also the condition that it be kept a secret from Tom if Severus were to use the girl. 'Merlin, what a mess.'

Looking back at the elf, Albus considered his next question for a moment before starting again. “Kreacher, I'm curious, how did you know that Sirius would want the others involved?”

“He told Kreacher while Kreacher taught him. It did not matter if he wished it or not, Kreacher would have been able to get the others involved, no matter what. It just helped that Master wanted to share the Mudblood with others.”

“So, you are telling me that having Remus, the Weasleys, and Severus use Miss Granger was all the true desire of Sirius?”

“Yes. Master wished for the others to join in, and Kreacher worked to make it happen.”

“But, had not Sirius truly wanted it, you would have made it happen anyway?”

“Yes. Mistress said it would help the Dark Lord, so Kreacher needed to make it happen. It was just easier to not have to teach Master the desire to share the Mudblood with all the others.”

“Did it not bother you to share her with so many?”

“No.”

“Did you not state that you wanted her for yourself?”

“Yes.”

“I do not understand.”

“Sharing Kreacher's Mudblood was only temporary. The Dark Lord promised that Kreacher would keep his Mudblood when the war was won. Kreacher just had to wait for the end of the war.”

“I see.”

Albus' eyebrows rose when Kreacher growled at him loudly. Again, Albus decided to go down a slightly different path with is questioning.

“Kreacher, you stated before that Sirius did not wish to use Miss Weasley.”

“He wanted to use her with the Mudblood. He didn't desire her alone. But once he used her that first time, with the Mudblood, it was easy enough to teach him otherwise.”

“Yet, when I looked into Sirius' memory, I saw he did not want to have anything to do with Miss Weasley that day you first brought her down.”

Kreacher frowned. “Kreacher had been working on Master to desire Little Doe, but he was being slow to get good grades with Kreacher. So, Kreacher had to persuade Master to use her. As Kreacher said, once Master used her the first time, he was easy to teach to use her all the time.”

Albus rubbed his temples. This was all so confusing. He knew Kreacher was purposely being vague and wording his explanations so that he would have difficulty deciphering exactly what the elf meant. Not for the last time, Albus wished elves would speak plainly and not in circles. Even talking to Dobby was a tiring task. Albus knew he would have to view this interrogation at a later time in his Pensieve to ensure he understood the intricacies of the situation.

“Kreacher, tell me, why did you bring Miss Granger to see Bellatrix?”

“Mistress wanted to see how well Kreacher's teaching had taken effect. She wanted to watch Kreacher using his sex slave.” Kreacher smiled. “She also wanted to use Kreacher's Mudblood for fun. She said she would reward Kreacher if he shared his Mudblood with her and her friends.”

“And what was this reward, Kreacher? I was under the impression that Miss Granger was your reward.”

Kreacher was startled at the question, his smug expression falling from his face. He never thought about that. Mistress had never told him what this extra reward would be. He had been too excited at the thought of using his Mudblood in front of others to ask what this new reward would be.

Albus watched Kreacher's facial expression change from one of smugness to one of confusion, then indignation. He smiled inwardly, knowing he had 'scored a point for the team', as the Muggles would say.

“You mention Bellatrix's friends. Do you mean Death Eaters?”

Kreacher nodded his head slowly.

Taking in a deep cleansing breath and releasing it slowly, Albus considered what to ask next. “Tell me about the Death Eaters, Kreacher. Due to her Muggle-born status, did you not worry that Miss Granger would be seriously injured, or even killed, by them?”

Kreacher's face darkened. “Kreacher was glad to please Mistress and Master Lestrange. They promised they would not harm Kreacher's Mudblood permanently. They promised Kreacher he could have the Mudblood for his very own. They promised Kreacher much. Oh, yes, they did. Especially Mistress.”

“But?”

Kreacher scowled. “They hurt Kreacher's Mudblood more than she could bear. They were supposed to share the Mudblood with Kreacher, and Kreacher didn't mind. He liked watching them use her. They whipped her, but they also healed her.”

“And, you found this acceptable?”

“As long as they healed her, Kreacher thought all was well.”

“But?”

“The Mudblood's fear and pain was... It became too... She was...” Kreacher couldn't think of the words he needed to say. He didn't want to tell the BratMaster that he had become truly worried for his Mudblood and had wanted to do the unthinkable – remove her from his Mistress and Master to stop them from causing her more pain. He squirmed as he tried to think of what to say before putting a determined look on his face and raising his chin in an effort to hide his true feelings. “Kreacher couldn't have his sex slave ruined because Mistress liked to torture his Mudblood.”

“I see.”

“Kreacher wanted to please Mistress Bella. She was always Mistress Black's favorite niece. She was Kreacher's favorite as well. But the Mudblood was going to lose her mind. Kreacher couldn't have that. Oh, no, he couldn't.”

“What difference would that make to you, Kreacher? You only needed her body.”

Kreacher sniffed. “Without her mind, her body is no fun to use.”

“I see. And, the reasoning for this?”

“Kreacher likes when the Mudblood does the things she had been taught. If she loses her mind, she'll just sit and stare, or become crazy and do strange things.” Kreacher shook his head. “Kreacher doesn't like crazy witches. They don't always follow orders, and sometimes they bite at the wrong time.” Kreacher rubbed his privates as he grimaced.

Albus cleared his throat uncomfortably. “And, you know about 'crazy witches' due to...?”

“Some of the Muggles and witches in the sex slave room went crazy when Mistress and Master used them. They were exterminated right away when they lost their minds. Master didn't like crazy sex slaves, either.”

“I see. So, Miss Granger's mind is only good due to her being able to perform sexually for you? Is that correct?”

Kreacher looked away, then down, his smug expression disappearing. “At first, yes. Then Kreacher began to like having the Mudblood around. She was perfect for Kreacher, and Kreacher liked having her near.”

Pursing his lips, Albus stared at the elf. “You actually like Miss Granger?”

Kreacher spoke quickly though he did not look up. “Not for conversation. She is perfect for gratification. She does what she is told. She tries hard to please.”

“I see.” Albus observed the elf a moment before continuing, noticing how the elf grimaced at his words. “So, in the beginning, you saw her as someone to please you sexually as long as you punished her due to her blood status. Am I correct?”

Kreacher shook his head. “Kreacher smelled her when she first entered that summer, and Kreacher came out from under his boiler so he could see who smelled delicious. Then Kreacher saw her body, and Kreacher wanted her. She was perfect. Not too big, not too small, not too pretty, not too ugly, and she smelled sooooo good.”

“You keep mentioning how she smelled good to you. She has a particular odor you find pleasing?”

“Arousing. She smells so good.”

“Was she, perhaps, wearing a particular perfume that you found... arousing?”

“No, no. It was Kreacher's Mudblood. She smells so nice.”

“You are now telling me that she has an odor about her that you find intoxicating? A type of pheromone?”

“I do not know what you call it. She is different from the other women. Much different.”

Albus' brows furrowed. Other than perfume, and perhaps the soap and shampoo she shared with Miss Weasley, he didn't notice a particular odor coming from the girl.

“The sense of smell is more acute in an elf than a human?”

“Of course. That is common knowledge.”

'If it's common knowledge, why is this news to me?' Albus shifted in his seat and leaned forward, resting his elbow on his knee as he pulled his beard thoughtfully.

“Had she smelled differently, you would not have been attracted to her?”

“Kreacher didn't want the other witches who entered his home. Only the Mudblood. He smelled her when she invaded Kreacher's home. Kreacher was angry with Master for allowing a Mudblood to infest his home. But, when Kreacher smelled her, and then he saw her, he knew he had to have her. But she was Mudblood, and Kreacher's Mistress would never allow him to have her. Not unless Kreacher punished her.”

“Yes, yes, I see. So, you desired her, then felt that if you were punishing her for being Mudblood, that it would be all right for you to have her? Is that what you are telling me?”

Kreacher nodded.

“But then, things changed in some way?”

Again, Kreacher nodded. “Kreacher still liked punishing the Mudblood. Master Sirius would punish her, but he never hurt her too much. Master Sirius was close to perfect when it came to punishing his Mudblood. Oh, yes he was.”

“I do not understand the difference. What was the difference between Sirius tormenting Miss Granger and your Mistress? Sirius was not as violent?”

“Master Sirius could be as good as Mistress when he used our sex slave, but the Mudblood didn't fear Master like she did Mistress. And Master had feelings for the Mudblood that made him stop or pause what he was doing when things became too much for her. Kreacher didn't like that at first, but then he saw Master's wisdom after watching Mistress work his Mudblood over.”

“I see. Sirius was not as much of a threat to Miss Granger?”

“Not in her mind. No. She allowed Master to do some wonderful things to her.” Kreacher smiled at Albus. “Not that she had much choice.” He rubbed his hands together. “Yes, Master was as close to perfect with Kreacher's Mudblood as one could be. Oh, yes, he was.”

Kreacher closed his eyes as he remembered his Master tying the Mudblood up and whipping her. Or tying her up and hanging her from the ceiling. Or tying her up and forcing her to do things. Or watching while Kreacher pulled and pinched on her nipples and forced her to follow him. Kreacher's dick twitched at the last memory. Ah, yes, those were lovely times. Of course, there were times when his Master would frustrate Kreacher by trying to be nice to their slave, but Kreacher always managed to get his Master back to using her the way he wanted. Oh, yes, he did. Kreacher smiled broadly as he remembered using the Mudblood with his Master and took in a deep satisfied sigh. Then the BratMaster had to start talking, ruining his time reminiscing.

“Go on, Kreacher. Tell me what changed for you with Miss Granger.”

“Kreacher enjoyed the thought of taking his Mudblood to Mistress Bella. Mistress was so happy to hear of Kreacher's Mudblood sex slave. She was happy the Dark Lord's idea was a success. She thought it funny and couldn't wait to see Kreacher using his Mudblood. Kreacher got to use his Mudblood much more creatively when with Mistress Bella. Oh, yes, he did. He liked watching her perform for all the men. Not just one or two. Oh, no. And Kreacher was allowed to make the Mudblood service the Lestrange elves. Yes.....” Kreacher closed his eyes again as he envisioned his Mudblood performing for a multitude of elves while his Mistress showered him with praise.

Disgust flashed across Albus' face as he watched the elf daydreaming about the torments he had put Miss Granger through. Carefully schooling his face so he showed interest, he prodded the elf to continue. “I fail to see a problem if you enjoyed using Miss Granger with your Mistress Bella and the Death Eaters, Kreacher.”

“Kreacher didn't like his Mudblood being punished too much. He didn't like it when she was hurt so violently.” Kreacher looked at Albus. “Master Rodolphus was hurting his Mudblood. That first day had been going so nicely, but Kreacher thinks it was too much for his Mudblood to handle. Mistress Bella and Master Rodolphus were very hard on his Mudblood that first day. Oh, yes, they were. She was screaming and crying and begging them to stop hurting her and Kreacher didn't dare stop them.”

Albus' eyebrows went up as he asked, “But, did they not heal her?”

“Yes. But they could not heal the mind of Kreacher's Mudblood.”

“Did not Sirius help her?”

“A little, but not enough.”

“What did you do, Kreacher, to help your Mudblood?”

Kreacher sat a long time without answering. “Kreacher was bad. Kreacher gave his Mudblood the Tutelaffectus potion.” Again, Kreacher attempted to climb off the bed, then gave a frustrated cry before he began to forcefully punch himself about the face and head with his fists.

Sighing heavily, Albus pulled his wand out, flicked it, and watched as Kreacher's hands were forced down to his sides invisibly. Wizard and elf glared at each other before Kreacher looked away.

“Kreacher, I have told you before that I do not hold with your punishing yourself like that. I will release your hands but I expect them not be used as a weapon against yourself. Do you understand me?”

Kreacher gave a curt nod before turning his face away in a huff. He watched as the BratMaster flicked his wand again and Kreacher felt his arm muscles loosen. He flexed his arms before lowering them down as the wizard had instructed.

Albus patiently watched as the elf's arms relaxed, then waited a few moments before continuing. “The Tutelaffectus potion? I have never heard of it. This potion does what, precisely, Kreacher?”

“It makes it so that anyone who touches the body fluids of Kreacher's Mudblood will want to please her and not hurt her.”

“Anyone?”

“Those of the opposite sex. If a man takes it, women will respond differently to him once they exchange body fluids.”

“Does this mean all body fluids?”

“All, but only when her emotions are strong.”

“Why would that be, Kreacher?”

“Kreacher does not know. He only knows the potion starts to work when the person who drank the potion becomes upset, very happy, or aroused.”

“I see. So, this potion, the Tutelaffectus potion, it is only active during periods of intense emotion?”

“Yes.”

“That would account for Miss Granger's tears being a source of the potions affects?”

Nodding, Kreacher shrugged. “Yes. Happy or sad tears, it makes no difference.”

“Her vaginal secretions?”

“Only when she is sexually excited.”

“What of her breast milk?”

Kreacher smiled.

“Kreacher, I am at a loss for words. I do not believe that the only reason you gave Miss Granger this potion was so that others would not harm her.”

Kreacher's reply was simple. “It is.”

Albus gave Kreacher a skeptical look.

“Kreacher could not ask Mistress to be kinder to his Mudblood. Kreacher could not keep the Mudblood away. And Kreacher could not risk giving a potion to Mistress and Master Lestrange to make them change their ways. Kreacher would never be able to give all the Death Eaters a potion. So Kreacher gave his Mudblood a potion to protect her from harm.”

“Yet, it does not affect women since Miss Granger is female.”

“No.” Kreacher looked sad. “Mistress remained vile towards his Mudblood. Master Rodolphus, even though he remained cruel to the Mudblood, would oftentimes make Mistress stop or slow down. Same with the other Death Eaters.”

“I see.”

Kreacher rolled his eyes. “Do you see? Truly?”

“In a way, I believe I do.”

“Kreacher wants his Mudblood back.”

“For you to torment? I'm afraid not.”

“Kreacher likes his Mudblood. Kreacher wants her back. Kreacher will do anything to get his Mudblood back.”

Albus studied Kreacher a moment. “Does the potion affect all of the opposite sex, regardless of species?”

“Kreacher does not know. Kreacher does not care.”

“Hmmmmm.” Albus repositioned himself in the chair as he took in a deep, cleansing breath. “Tell me, Kreacher, how did you hear of this potion?”

“Kreacher's Mistress used it on Master Regulus. There was still a bottle left in storage.”

“Oh? Why would she feel the need to give her son this potion?”

“Mistress worried about Master Regulus being near Mistress Bellatrix. She said she wanted to be sure Master Regulus was safe.”

“Interesting. How did she know Regulus and Bella would be intimate with one another?”

“She knew how Mistress Bellatrix is. She wanted to make sure Master Regulus was safe.”

“I see. You state this potion was in storage. Is there any more left?”

“No.”

“Is the bottle that the potion was stored in still around?”

“Kreacher washed the bottle.”

'Damn.' “I see. Was Miss Granger aware that you were giving her this potion?”

“Master gave it to her. Kreacher told Master it would help her heal when she came back injured after visiting Mistress. Master has the Healing Paste, but sometimes it isn't good enough. Master is very good with potions, but he is not a Master.”

“I see. So, Sirius took you at your word that the potion he was giving Miss Granger was something to help heal her of her wounds?”

“Yes.”

'Interesting.' Albus contemplated the information he now had. “Kreacher, you said before that Miss Granger was your reward. Tell me more about that. You state that Bellatrix told you that Tom said you could have her when he won the war. What else did Bellatrix tell you that Tom said?”

Kreacher's mouth became a grim line. “Kreacher tells you no more until Kreacher has his Mudblood back.”

“Kreacher, I believe I told you before that you will tell me what I wish to know or I will be forced to use other methods in order to get the information out of you.”

Flicking at an invisible speck on his sheet, Kreacher shrugged. “You did.”

“And?”

Kreacher crossed his arms and scowled. “Kreacher can and will resist.”

Albus let slip a wry smile. “Is that so?”

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Author's notes, you may freely skip:

Way, way, way back in chapter 3, I had Kreacher talking about how he could smell Hermione and how attracted he was to her. I also mention how he decided to use Sirius as a way to get to her. I had to be very careful with my wording not to give any of the information about Voldemort's involvement away so I made sure not to mention him at all. I made it all seem like it was Kreacher's twisted thinking to fool ya. I struggled with how to drop hints in, but just couldn't figure out a way to do so without giving away my major plot point. So, I hope you forgive me for that and enjoy the surprises as they pop up.
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Remember, wayyyyyyyyyy back in chapter 15, when I said that the ending of that chapter was important? I specifically stated in the very beginning:
“Read the very last paragraph in the chapter though (above the author's notes), it's kind of telling for future stuff.”

And the very last paragraph was:
“Kreacher watched his slave being tormented while he stood at the foot of the bed, wringing his hands, not sure he was happy with how events were progressing but powerless to stop it. He had no idea the Master's he adored would hurt his sex slave so much and, for the first time, felt the unfamiliar and unwelcome desire to protect her from harm clash with his desire to please his beloved Master's.”

This chapter now tells you why that last paragraph of chapter 15 was so telling of future stuff!
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Tutela affectus means “protective emotion” in Latin. So, the 'Tutelaffectus' potion causes protective feelings towards the person who has taken it.
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Pheromones:
http://www.hhmi.org/senses/d230.html
http://www.cnn.com/HEALTH/women/9906/25/sexuality.scent/
http://serendip.brynmawr.edu/exchange/node/2052
http://cas.bellarmine.edu/tietjen/images/human_pheromones.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pheromone
Look at the part where it talks about woman's menstrual cycles and underarm sweat... Ewwww! I knew that when there's a bunch of women living together that their cycles seem to regulate with each other, but I never heard of the underarm sweat thing!
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Sex slaves (disposable or not):
http://www.afajournal.org/2004/april/404culture.asp
http://www.humantrafficking.org/updates/849
http://www.feministe.us/blog/archives/2008/07/01/the-many-faces-of-human-trafficking-victims/
http://www.feer.com/reviews/2009/march/sex-trafficking-inside-the-business-of-modern-slavery
http://cup.columbia.edu/static/siddarth-kara-interview
http://fractalfairy.com/cherries/Will_The_Real_Sex_Slave.pdf
http://www.japantoday.com/category/book-reviews/view/booklet-on-wartime-sex-slavery-published
It's a shame that people consider others like this. I'm so glad I have never become a sex slave. What sad lives they lead. And, it's a shame that we'll never be able to stop the practice.
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By the way... Everyone who reads these stories on AFF should donate a few bucks to help keep it going... I know for a fact that it costs a lot of money to keep a site going – I pay $180 a month for my own site... Even if everyone donated $1, it would help the owner of this site a great deal. Think about it, if 100 people were to donate $1, that would help the owner of this site immensely. And that $1 would help keep this site up and running for our entertainment. One dollar isn't so much, is it? So, donate! Look for the little 'donate' button at the very top – you can use paypal... Don't have a paypal account? For shame! I've used paypal for almost 10 years now without a problem... It's wonderful – so many places use paypal online now, it makes things so easy!

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