Disclaimer:
Harry Potter and all of its characters belong to J.K. Rowling.
I own nothing but the original characters I make.
"Dialogue"
'Thoughts'
-Author notes-
Chapter 53: The Haunted House Part 1
"Mmm, this surely brings me back," Harry muttered as he walked on the old cobbled streets of the quaint little village of Locronan.
This medieval town didn't seem to have changed much over the past few centuries, and made Harry feel more at home when compared with the busy streets of London.
In the distance, he could see the massive cathedral towering over the rest of the houses.
He had yet to stop a single person walking through the streets, but he had been feeling eyes on him since he arrived.
After consulting the notes he had prepared and checking the name of the road, Harry confirmed that he was in the right place.
He did not know the location of the supposed 'haunted house', but Morgan did manage to get the address of its caretaker.
"All the houses look very similar, but I believe it has to be this one." Harry finally stopped in front of a small stone house with a yellow door.
Harry looked down at himself and adjusted his suit jacket and tie, making sure that everything was in the correct place. He was not accustomed to wearing Muggle clothing, but the current situation required it.
Before he could walk up to the door to knock, it opened slightly, and a man poked his head out.
"Who are you? Did François send you?"
A.N – This person is speaking in French, but I will directly display the text in English. –
"Oh… hold on." Harry didn't understand a word this person said, other than the name François. He quickly pulled his wand behind his back and cast a translation charm on himself.
"Sorry, could you repeat that question?" This time, Harry spoke with a perfect French accent.
"I asked who you are. You are not from around here," the man said.
"Right." This little village had only around eight hundred inhabitants, so an outsider would immediately stand out.
"My name is Harry Potter, and I came here from London."
"London?" The man now sounded very confused.
Harry waited until the man made eye contact with him to perform a superficial scan of his mind.
'I see.'
He quickly understood the man's confusion. Apparently, he had been experiencing some money problems and ended up borrowing money from the wrong individuals.
A man from a nearby city who went by the name of François Armand. He had already received the visit of a couple of thugs in the past month, demanding that he pay what he owed.
"I did not come here to ask you for money, Mister…"
"Laurent…" the man responded with a tone of suspicion.
"Mister Laurent." Harry nodded. "In fact, I would be willing to pay you handsomely if you happen to have what I seek." He pulled a brown bag from his jacket and brought it closer to the suspicious man, who still hid behind the door.
Harry opened it in front of him so he could see the contents.
"My God!" the man exclaimed in shock when he saw all the gold coins inside. "W-what do you want?! I…I have nothing of value."
"That would be a shame." Harry stored the bag of coins. "I have been told you were the caretaker of a very particular house."
The man flinched. "Y-you… you are interested in that cursed house? It's not my house, so… and the owner has been missing for years. I…"
"Yes, I heard about that. But I am not trying to buy the house. You see...I am merely interested in one item that could be inside. A book." Harry saw the color leaving the man's face.
"A… a b-book?"
"A black book. One with a human face on its cover," Harry said.
He shifted his gaze around before looking at Harry again. "Come in, quick!" He opened the door and moved aside so Harry could enter.
Harry walked inside the small home and immediately noticed how empty it was.
Just a few pieces of old furniture. No decorations. The paint on the walls was peeling apart, and the wooden floors made creaking noises as they moved.
Even without reading his mind, it was obvious to Harry that this person was not doing well financially.
"T-the book… how do you even know about it?" the man asked while standing just a few feet away from him.
Harry could now take a better look at this person. He appeared to be a short, bald man in his mid forties. He wore ragged clothes and smelled of cheap whiskey.
This was the sight of a desperate man who was out of luck.
"I have heard about the stories that you shared with locals a few years ago," Harry said.
"You heard that?" The man looked troubled. "That was… when Master Frank went missing. I… went to that cursed house and… but no one believed me when I told them!" he shouted.
"You would be surprised at what I would believe, Mister Laurent," Harry said.
"That house… Master Frank left me to look after it when he went on a business trip. I never liked that house, but he paid generously. I always felt there was something wrong while I was in there. I never stayed longer than necessary."
"And the book? When did you see it?" Harry asked.
"That was after Master Frank went missing. He… he was supposed to pay me after coming back from his last trip. A few days passed, and I heard nothing from him. So I went to the house, and…"
"And?" Harry urged him to continue.
"Master Frank rarely left the house when he was in town. He usually would send me to get him some groceries. But when I went there, it was empty. There were signs that Master Frank had been there, like his briefcase and clothes, but… I couldn't find him. When I went to his studio… that's when I saw it. There was a black book resting on top of one of those wooden stands like the ones the priest uses for the Bible. It was positioned at the center of the room, and it immediately drew my eyes to it. But… when I got closer, I started to feel sick and dizzy. And… when I looked at the cover of the book, a human face suddenly appeared and screamed at me!"
Harry listened attentively. "That is indeed interesting…"
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